Lights Out!
                            for MS-DOS and OS/2
                                version 1.0

                             by William McBrine
                 Written 1995; Placed in the Public Domain


:::: INTRODUCTION ::::

This is a simple PC implementation of Tiger Electronics' new $25 hand-held
electronic game "Lights Out". By now, you might've seen the TV ads. I
discovered it on one of those home shopping channels, where they said that
Games Magazine had called it "the answer to Rubik's Cube". I looked up the
review in the August '95 issue, and it was so simple that I wrote my own
version, based solely on the description in Games.


:::: PLAY ::::

There's a 5x5 grid of square lights, which are either on or off. The object
of the game is to turn them all off. You do this by clicking on any square
with the mouse. Each click toggles the on/off state of that light, as well
as those four which are immediately above, below, to the right, and to the
left, in a cross pattern.

In my version, you always start with a random grid (and in a random color).
I don't think all patterns are solvable. I usually have no trouble getting
down to a single light -- at which point I have to restart, because I've
never found a way to get rid of a solitary light. Wins are occasional. The
program keeps a tally of games played and won during this session, as well
as the number of clicks (steps) made in the current game, and the lights
which are currently illuminated.

As you play, you'll learn to recognize patterns which can lead to
solutions. Games suggests, "One good approach is to try to concentrate the
lighted bulbs into a single group and then maneuver that group into a
corner." I found this advice to be of limited utility, however.

When you get fed up with a particular game, click in the general area of
the word "Restart" (to the left of the board) for a new, random game. If
you just want to change the color scheme, click on "Change Color" to cycle
through the possibilities. Click "Quit" to end the session.


:::: NOTES ::::

Some features of the hand-held game are missing in this version, such as
the prearranged puzzles (which I didn't have access to), and the save-game
feature (hey, I'm lazy). On the other hand, with mine you can change
colors. :-) It also urges you to rest after every 500 clicks... because I
got a sore wrist playing this thing. And I'm including the source, in case
you want to modify it. (For instance, you can change the size of the grid
just by adjusting a few constants. I've played on 4x4, 6x6, and other
sizes.) It has no comments to speak of, though.

Known bugs: For reasons as yet unclear, when you first move the mouse, a
garbage character sometimes appears in the upper left corner. You can clear
this up by quitting and restarting.

MSDOS and OS/2 executables are included.


:::: WHERE TO REACH ME ::::

Internet: wmcbrine@clark.net
US Mail:  William McBrine
          8128 Fenwick Ct.
          Laurel, MD 20707-5615

Anonymous FTP to:

ftp.clark.net:/pub/wmcbrine/

or on the World Wide Web at:

http://www.clark.net/pub/wmcbrine/html/


:::: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ::::

Inspiration:   Tiger Electronics. It's their idea.

Specs:         Games Magazine.

Alpha tester:  My sister, Marian McBrine <mcbanm3l@wfu.edu>. Talk to her if
you want to talk games. (Heck, it was her magazine.)